Valvular device for fluid-injecting golf ball centers



Oct. 9, 195 J. R. GAMMETER VALVULAR DEVICE FOR FLUIDJNJECTING GOLF BALL CENTERS Filed May 10, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO R. dUfi/V A. aw/mme BY wbw lm ATTORN EY Oct. 9, 1951 J GAMMETER 2,570,787

VALVULAR DEVICE FOR FLUID-INJECTING GOLF BALL CENTERS BY MXQQZ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1951 umr so s' m rns "IIPATENT OFFICE 'IVALVLUL'ARV-DEVICIE FOR; FLUIDHINJECTING 1 GOLF BALLGENT'ERS --Application May: 10,

11" Claims.

. This invention ;re1ates"to a "device for fluidinjebting golf ball centers.

At. present, there areinuse a number'ofmethbdsi f' 'fl d i 'ctinggmfiball centers, {utilizing hollow injection "needlesin lthei nature 16f i'hypo- .Ider'rnic needles. "Two such methods aredescribed "inpp'rior' Gammeter '1 patents, Numbers 1,l6'7',396 "and 22251213. "File 'ifijdfibn "fluid ma be f T'knOWn type, such 3S'gluelglycrinefoifiialdehydep'rintin'g roller "composition; capable 'of beiing forced through the -injectionneedle. 1 In both "said-prior Gammeterpatentsjfor example, injection" fluid under heavy'pressure; is utilized to 'apply "super-tension to elastic threadwindings on the inner shells ofgolf balls; itbeingfaj'well known fact that the rubber "threads, once "super tensione'd, "are 'thereafter relaxed and remai less stretchable under the impact of thecompleted -'ba'lls'"with a golffclub head-' meme balls," thereforefiten'd more effectively-to recover'reboundand normal 'shape aftersuch impact. In the past, however, it has been -found "that-in the use ot the ord-inary helldwy-peof flu-id inie'ction needle, fthere is a tendency or tha -injection 'fluid' to fol- -low the needle -or to 6oze-fro'i fit'he renew-there- :Iof, as it-iis withdrawn from a n injcted ball-or 'iball casing; and flui'd m'ay thus become lodged :inthei puncture maide' by needle and fsult in a substantial percentage 'of defective articles. In

a similar manner fluid remaining withinthe holblow Ofithe needle-frequently causes-clogging of theisame.

One object 50f ithe present invention is to provide an improved :fluid inj'ectin-g me'ans of the character describedg including a hollow' stem for spassage therethrough of injection (fluid, and

means for preventing ret urn flow rof fluid into .the-= :hOHOWxOPthB stem,'-=wherebyi is 'eliminated or egreatly minimized the numberof 'rej ections .caused byefluid- 'leaking from the" needle e-into :the1Ismall rpuncture made; in.theball- 01" ball casing by the ..needle, 'asthe needle :15 -withdrawn,'-and whereby is-l obviated the usual .-c1ogging;- of injection 1 fluid withinthe-hollow'of the need-1e, l

Another vobject of the inventionis to provide a il uid injection needleof thetcharacter: described, "including. improvednmeans therein in the nature 0fa. valve, operable eat the extreme tip 'end of the needle, and theretore operable *entirely .with- 1947,5Seiial' No. 747,275

I 2 r H Figure 2 is a viewsimilar to Figure 1, but-fur- "ther broken away and illustrating the needle; and associated. parts in a n'eedle-openfposition.

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary 5 cross 's'e'ction, of the'tip' end of the improvedjinjection'needle embodying the features of the? inventi'on.

Figures 4 to "8, inclusive, are enlarged fragmen'tar cross-sections .of the injection-needle 10 "anda part of the operating 'structures'therefor,

inassociation' with a'golfball casing, and in vari- 'OHS', progressive stages of use of the deviceifor 'injecting'fiuid into the casing.

Figure 9 is' greatly enlarged fragmentary cipsssection, similar to'Figure 3, vof the tipendof a modified form injection needle. 7,

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 2,?there 'is'illustrated' asupportIIl ,on which is mounted a suitable housing- I I,having a chamber IZ'the'rein connecting," through acondu'it I3, witlr'a'suitable pressure cylinder I4 containing"injection fluid. "The pressure of the "fluid may be manually controlled, as by means of a screW'I5, am; asin- "dicatedpn' a pressure regulator dial R, of known type; operatively communicating with fiuidchainber I2 as shown (see'Figurel). .Essen'tial parts of -the apparatus may be'steam jacketed asiat Iqfo'rinxanysuitable manner, to maintainlthe "fluid supply in desired'fiuid condition.

.Attached tohousing to projectfreely therefromfinay'be'an'injection needle device I6, i'nclu'ding an elongated needle-like stem I'I having a cylindrical central opening I B extendinglongitu'dirially therethrough, and an enlarged head IQ providedwith' a bore I971 for reception of'a reduce'd neck 20' ofa capz I which is threaded into "the' 'housing II-ina'manner to communicatethe *stem opening I8 with the chamber I2. Head {I9 may be"secured""onto neck 20 by any suitable 40 means, such as by sweating it on with solder. Re-

'ci'procably' received throu'gh" theste'm opening I8 maybe an elongated'core 24, the outerendof ijwhichnormally'projects from the end of the stem *I I as-in'dicatedat 25, and which is taperedor ipointed toblendfsmoothly with the tapered'p'or- 'ti'on Fla of-the"stem (see-Figure 3). For-facilitating receptionof core 2t in stem opening "I8,

a' conial 'recesslta isprovided on thei'nner face ofrhe'ad I9. Thejinner end'of the corezlisco'nnected to a rack "26 of the'same diamete'r asthe "chamber .1 I2, to be longitudinally 'slidable therein, the reduction of the upper side of the rack;to

provide teeth 26a providing requisite'space within's'ai'd chamber for'free passage of pr'essure fluid 5 therthrough, from the conduit I3 to'th'ejin'jection needle device I6.

Riotatably mounted 'in housing II -m'ay1be a pi'nion' 21, in mshirigfengagemnt with the rack 12 6-, a. handle ,28 jprovided on an outwardfeiitem onlsi'oniof a "shaft "29 of "the .pinion being "operable 3 between angularly disposedstops 30 and 3|, for limiting swinging movement of the handle which, through the pinion 21, will reciprocate the rack to move the core 24 between a closed position in which the hollow stem is completely closed thereby (see Figures 1, 3, 4, 5, '7 and 8), and I a fully opened position in which the core is withdrawn from the stemto allow passage of fluid therethrough from the chamber [2 (see Figures 2 and 6). The stop members 30 and 3! are shown as screws adjustably threaded in lugs 32 and 33 on the housing ll, whereby the open and closed positions of the core 24 with respect to the stem may be accurately determined.

. A movable ball-supporting member 36 is provided for retaining a ball or ball casing 31 in association with the injection needle device l6,

, during fluid-injection steps to be described later. 7 To this end, member 36 is in two parts 36a and 3615, having ball retaining uprights 38 and 39, mounted on base portions 40 and 4|, respectively, which are longitudinally slidably received inv a suitable guide channel 35 on the upper side of "an extension Ifla of support In.

These member parts 36a and 361) are adapted to be relatively moved to engage and retain golf ball casing 3! between oppositely disposed conical recesses 42 and 43, to support the casing in alignment with the injection needle device [6. The arrangement is such that the member 36 may be moved along the guide channel 35, as

,a unit toward the stem IT, to project the stem through the casing 31 approximately to the center thereof, an opening 38a being provided in the upright 38 to permit reception of the stem into the casing.

The operation or use of the apparatus described will best be understood in connection with the procedure followed in super-tensioning the elastic windings on the ball casing 31. Accordingly, a casing 31 is provided in any suitable manner to have a central liquid center .44, of printing roller composition or othermaanism set in the left-hand position against stop 30, as illustrated in Figure 1., thereby to present the core'24 in its closed position within the stem II, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the

-member 36 with casing 31 carried thereby is moved along the guide portion 35 of supporting extension 10a, to project the stem and core through the casing into the liquid center 44, as shown in Figure 5. Next, the handle 28 is moved to the right to engage stop 3|, as viewed in Figure 2, thereby to move the rack 26 to the left to remove core 24 inwardly from the stem [1, and thereby to allow free passage of injection fluid from the chamber I2 through the opening 18 of the stem to the interior of the ball casing, as shown in Figure 6. While the core 24 is thus removed from the stem II, the operator may operate the screw I5, in known manner, to increase the pressure of the liquid within the ball casing for supertensioning the rubber threads of the layer 41. As an example, the pressure, as indicated on the dial, is adjusted to something above 2,000 lbs. per square inch, after which it is adjusted slowly downwardly until the dial indicates a steady pressure of 2,000' lbs. per square inch within the ball casing. By means of this procedure the desired super-tensioning will have been accomplished. The handle 28 is thereafter moved back to the left-hand position of Figure l, to move core 24 into its closed position withinv the stem [1, as shown in the step of Figure 7, and thereby to seal the end of the stem against return flow of fluid from the ball casing into the opening [8 of the stem, after which the supporting member 36 is moved outwardly of housing II to withdraw the injection needle device IB from the casing, as shown in Figure 8. In withdrawing the injection needle device 16 from the casing, there will be no possibilityof liquid material oozing from the end of the hollow stem ll, to become lodged in the puncture 50 made in the ball casing thereby, so that the possibility of leakage of the core liquid 44 through said puncture, which would cause rejection of the ball as commercially acceptable goods, is substantially eliminated. Also, movement of core 24 through the opening [8 of the stem maintains the same free of injection fluid which would tend to clog the needle.

When the rubber threads of the thread layer 41 are once super-tensioned or stretched to the point approximating the elastic limit thereof, and allowed to remain in that condition for a substantial period, such as 24 hours, the stretching process may be repeated as described above because the threads will then have become relaxed to an extent which permits such further super-tensioning. It has been found, however, that a satisfactory golf ball is produced with one super-tensioning operation. In any case, the super-tensioned casing is provided with the usual outer cover (not shown), such as balatta.

In Figure 9 is shown a modified form of the tip end, for injection needle device [6 previously described, wherein a stem 41 has'a central passage 48 therethrough, but terminating in a taper at 49 corresponding to a sharply tapered extreme end portion 50 on the stem. A core 5|, corresponding to core 24, is reciprocable in passage 48, as before, but terminates in a taper complemental to taper 49, there being a small outlet aperture 52 in the stem adapted to be closed by the end of the core in the needle-closed position, referred to above. That is, the aperture 52 is located away from the extreme end of the stem so as to assure a smooth point for injection purposes but close enough to said extreme end to be completely within a ball casing in order that valving of the fluid may be done inside said ball casing, and thereby assure eflicient and effective operation of the injection needle.

Thus has been provided an improved fluid-injecting device or hypodermic needle, and apparatus for operating the same, adapted effectively to overcome the forementioned defects of the known prior art devices. It will be obvious that the device is capable of use for purposes other than described, where similar valving control at the end of the needle is desirable.

the scope Oi the appended claims.

- \;-,needle-1il;e stem having an "outer -tipend poron adapted'to be inserted into the -body-,---'s'aidw 5 rst'em' having an opening --1ongitudin'a11y-therecthrough and terminating in an' orifice communiw cating with' the" stem exterior at "a': point located von saidouter tip end portion; said'stem havin stemppeningcommunicating with.said- .chamber,

' 'aiclosu're core reciprocable intoxandioutpfasaid stem opening frorn t and. toward positions in which theopeningis openedxarid'closed .therethrough,

respectively, andmeans operablefor reciprocating saidcore; including means for relatively movably supporting :anarticle to, be fluid-injecteddnpas'sociation with said stem, said supporting v.means g being relatively movable to project said stem into therein' an inner' passage to said longitudinal;loithe-articleifor injecting lluidthereimsaid recip- -opening at a pointinwardly of saidtip 'end porf r' tion, -a: housi'ng having a fiuid containin'g cham- *ber therein communicating with said' long'i-tiidi- 'nalopening through said inner passage; 'anelonrocati'ng 'means including 'a rack, and. zpinion mounted in said housing, 'said closure. core bein'gaattached:rto said rack,: and an operatin member being provided for rotating said pinion gated-closure core reciprocablewithin said lon-i. l5 flto reciprocateisaid rack and therebyreciprocate gitudinal opening from aposition thereof in which it closes said longitudinal opening substantially '-to said terminal orifice toa'second position ofthe gore -in-which said -terrninal orifice is in open I said closure'core.

65A valvular device for.v flow-control :of fluid with respectfto a body, comprising a housing havrf ingiaxchamber containing fluid under pressure,

communication with said chamber through said: ZO-me'ansfor controlling the pressure of saidfluid longitudinal opening and saidinner passage, and means connectedto said core ,and operable at will to reciprocate the same: 2. A valvular device forflow-cont'rel of fluid in-said chamber, .a needle-like stem having-an szouter tip end portion adapted to be insertedinto uthe bonyr and having an elongated central .openiinggtherethroug'h and communicating exteriorly with respect to a-body, comprising a-housing hav ;of; theistem atza' point located: on said: tip;.end

ing ta:- fluid-containing chamber, a needleelike stem having an outer tipendportion adapted to be inserted intothe body and having an elongated i central .opening therethrough and communicatmunicatingwvithsaid. chamber, an elongated closure core reciprocable in said central opening from a position thereof iniwhich it closes said -central opening substantially lto tip lender the -s'temto a second positionof the closurec'ore in which said central opening is in open communication between the stem exterior and said chamber, and means connected to said core'and operable to reciprocate the same.

3. A valvular device as set forth in claim 2, including means for relatively movably supporting a body to be in association with said stem, said supporting means being relatively movable to project said stem into said body for injecting fluid therein.

r 4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a housing having a fluid-containing cham-' ber, a needle-like stem having a tip end and having an elongated central opening therethrough communicating exteriorly of the stem at said tip end of the stem for passage of said fluid, means for attaching said stem to said housing to project therefrom with the other end of the stem opening communicating with said chamber, a closure core reciprocable into and out of said stem opening from and toward positions in which the opening is opened and closed therethrough, respectively, and means operable for reciprocating said core, said reciprocating means including a rack and pinion mounted in said housing, said closure core being attached to said rack, and an operating member being provided for rotating said pinion to reciprocate said rack and thereby reciprocate said core.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a housin having a fluid-containing chamber, a needle-like stem having a tip end 70 and having an elongated central opening therethrough communicating exteriorly of the stem at said tip end of the stem for passage of said fluid, means for attaching said stem to said housing to project therefrom with the other end of the lportion;mansfiorfattaching said stem tosaidhousin to project freely therefrom with the inner end of said central'open'ing communicating with said chamber, an elongated closure core. reciprojiringz'exteriorly of thestem ataDoint; located on i cableJin said central opening from a position tsaid'tipend portion, means for attachingysaid stem'to said housing to projectfreely therefrom with the inner end'of said central opening-room- "thereof .in which .:it closes said central opening substantially to thetip'end of the stem to a second position of the closure corezin whichsaid central 5. opening is :inopen -i communication between the 3onstem-exterior andzsaid chamber, and means con- -:nected tolsaid core'sand' operable to reciprocate :ithe same. 7

;=7. Air-injection device of the character de- :scribed, comprising .aneedle-like stemhavin'g a 40 tip end and havin an elongated opening therethrough communicating exteriorly of the stem at said tip end of the same for passage of fluid, an elongatedclosure core reciprocable into and out of said opening toward and from positions in which the opening is opened and closed entirely projecting from said tip end of said stem.

8. An injection device of the character described, comprising a needle-like stem having a tip end and having an elongated opening therethrough communicating exteriorly of the stem at said tip end. of the same for passage of fluid,

an elongated closure core reciprocable into and out of said opening toward and from positions in which the openin is opened and closed therethrough, respectively, said core in the closed position thereof having a pointed end projecting from said tip end of said stem, said outer end of the stem being tapered to blend smoothly with said pointed end of the core.

9. Apparatus for injecting golf balls or the like fluid-filled articles comprising a housing having a chamber containing injection fluid supply adapted to be under pressure, an elongated needle-like stem having a tip end and having an elongated central opening therethrough communicating exteriorly of thestem at said tip end of the same for, passage of said injection fluid, means for attaching said stem to said housing to project therefrom with the other end of the stem opening communicating with said chamber,

a closure core reciprocable into and out of said opening from and toward positions in which'the opening is opened and closed therethrough, respectively, and means for reciprocating said core, means being included for relatively movably supporting said article in association with said stem, said supporting means being relatively movable to project said stem into said article for injecting fluid therein.

10. Apparatus for injecting golf balls or the like fluid-filled articles comprising a housing having a chamber for containin injection fluid supply adapted to be under pressure, an elongated needle-like stem having a tip end having an elongated central opening therethrough communicating'exteriorly of the stem at said tip end of the same for passage of said injection fluid,

means for attaching said stem to said housing to project therefrom with the other end of the stem opening communicating with said chamber, a closure core reciprocable into and out of said (opening from and toward positions in which the opening is opened and closed therethrough, respectively, and means for reciprocating said core, means being included for relatively movably supporting said article in association with said stem, said supporting means being relatively movable to project said stem into said article for injecting fluid therein, said reciprocating means including a rack and pinion mounted in said housing, said closure core being attached to said rack, and an operating member being provided for rotating eating with the stem exteriorat a point located on said outer tip end portion, said stem having therein an inner passage to said longitudinal opening at a point inwardly of said tip end portion, a housing having a fluid-containing chamber therein communicating with said longitudinal opening through said inner passage, an elongated closure core reciprocable within said longitudinal opening from a position thereof in which it closes said longitudinal opening substantially to said terminal orifice to a second position of the core in which said terminal orifice is in open communication with said chamber through said longitudinal opening and said inner passage, and means connected to said core and operable at will to reciprocate the same, said tip end of said stem being pointed and said terminal orifice be ing spaced from the extrem tip end of the stem.

JOHN R. GAMMETER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

